All posts tagged "windows"

Monday, January 16, 2012

"Despite the Mac's recent gains in market share, Windows is still the dominant operating system, especially in businesses. That means there may be times when you need to run the Microsoft OS: perhaps there's an application your company uses that's only available for Windows, or you're a web developer and you need to test your sites in a true native Windows web browser."

Well, whatever your reasons for running Windows on your Mac, you have many choices. Probably more than you realized, at least that was the feeling I got when I read this article on how to set up your Mac to run Windows. Especially helpful were the comparisons on performance based on which option, which helps immensely when trying to decide which road to travel. What are your thoughts on running Windows on a Mac, and which option(s) do you use?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

"At first, it must have looked so easy. Within nanoseconds of Steve Jobs' January 2010 unveiling of the iPad, a gaggle of companies decided to get into the tablet business."

After one and three quarter years, there is still no real challenger to the iPad, although many have tried (and some have already failed and/or bailed), and many are still trying. The current status: Android, while a runaway success on phones, still isn't able to duplicate that success on tablets - maybe Ice Cream Sandwich will be a game changer; HP's WebOS, so long, we hardly knew ye; RIM's (PlayBook) QNX is battling to keep from ending-up last, despite the advantages of a solid OS without app support; Windows, with Windows 8 still pretty far away, is an unknown quantity at this point, but can't be overlooked. So, the iPad still rules the roost, at least in CNET's view. Anyone think that Amazon can be a serious competitor if they choose to enter the fray?

Yea, pretty much Apple rules this one. I like a simpler look, and this certainly isn't it. It just seems that they are trying to put way too much stuff in a menu bar to make it visible to the user. It seems strange to me because, as the author points out, users are more likely to use right clicks or hotkeys to issue commands. If that is the case then why clutter up the command or menu bar? I certainly prefer the Apple minimalistic view. You can read the blog post about this change here, and perhaps that will shed some light on it but I didn't find any when I read through it. What are your thoughts?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

"A simple car mount that won't fall mid-drive is all anyone really needs. Still, there's something to be said for one that can stick firmly to almost any surface."

ExoGear sells the mount for $29.95 USD, and it is pretty versatile as you can see from the photo above. Granted, all the photos show an iPhone 4 but if you visit their site you will see that it will work with any device up to a 5-inch screen (thinking tablet here). They even have it adapted to use as an iPad holder or stand by flipping the suction cup around. A one size fits all mount if you will and the price certainly is affordable.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

"First the incredible news that Apple had surpassed Microsoft in overall profit. Now Horace Dedieu points out that Apple's software platforms now enables it to earn more than double the amount of profits Microsoft garners from Windows."

Another example of spinning statistics to come up with some startling factoids. Mixing together iOS and OS X sales numbers and comparing them (only) to sales of Windows OS is a bit odd, at least in my opinion. Is Windows Phone 7 even included here? iOS counts for about 75% of Apple's overall profit, so comparing only like vs. like gives a totally different number. Yes, Windows OS still outsells Mac OS - significantly. And, the author's statistics are a bit dodgy, 75% of the profit comes from iOS, and 20% comes from OS X. Where did the remaining 5% come from? I can only assume it's server OS profits. The author then tries to build a case for Microsoft getting into the "bundling" business to increase profits, making the software and selling the hardware, despite their hit-and-miss track record (Zune, for example). Do any of you want to see Microsoft head in this direction? I don't think that I do.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"Outlook users on Windows who have problems syncing their calendars with the new MobileMe Calendar web app will want to grab an updated MobileMe Control Panel for Windows, released yesterday."

The update was released yesterday (you can get it here), so version 1.6.6 of the MobileMe Control Panel for Windows will give you compatibility with the new MobileMe calendar, and also fixes the generic bugs and compatibility issues that every other update fixes it seems.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

"Security analysts and Windows managers often point a finger at Apple's longstanding place at the top of Secunia's OS vendor vulnerabilities list. However, that chart may map only part of the insecurity picture.

Neil MacDonald, a vice president at Gartner Research recently authored a research note on whether antivirus software is needed on Mac OS X and Linux desktops. (The answer is yes.)"

Interesting to see the competition between Apple and Microsoft moving more visibly into the area of insecurity and vulnerability. Conventional wisdom (ugh!) says that computers running OS X don't need antivirus software, and that only Windows is a malware magnet. Wrong. Vulnerability testing and white-hat hacking are showing that OS X is insecure, and that some of the security features currently in Windows (Vista and 7) are not equivalently implemented in OS X. Mac vulnerabilities are there, but, due to Windows overwhelming market share, malware writers go for the bigger target. What this tells us is that no OS is really secure. So, please, use an antivirus program! Excellent freeware for Mac OS X is Sophos Anti-virus. Get it here.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

"AirPrint is currently Mac only and works exclusively with a few HP printers. For Mac users without one of those fancy AirPrint-compatibile printers there's a fantastic Mac application called Printopia but what about Windows? For Windows husers who want AirPrint to work with their computer there is a new tool called ‘AirPrint Activator.'"

As you can see, the directions are in German, but the translated version from 9to5Mac is as follows:

"Just download the one-click tool, install and activate AirPrint for Windows 32bit or 64bit. Then you have to have the printer in System Preferences (printer properties) to share. Already, all printer under Windows 32-bit or Windows 64-bit for IOS 4.2.1 and AirPrint available. Please note Step 3: AirPrint.exe must be enabled in Windows Firewall."

Seems straightforward enough, and you can go here to download the file, but as always, be careful on the Internets!

Monday, November 29, 2010

"I’m running a PC and a Mac side by side as part of a long-term commitment to developing more expertise in Apple’s platform. In this post, I share three of the lessons I’ve learned along the way, including insights about old habits, new hardware, and the joys of cross-platform software and services."

An interesting follow-up to Ed Bott's recent articles detailing his experiments running Windows and Mac OS X side-by-side, and the trials and tribulations of learning a different way of doing things. My interpretation of his three biggest lessons learned: the (new) keyboard is a big pain to learn and use because of the physical differences and the differences in 'the way things work' on the Mac; applications that look and act the same on both platforms are a terrific boon to the 'switcher' and 're-switcher;' and that hardware maintenance and upgrades are not as transparent as one is led to believe. Personally I use both platforms about equally and: don't have the keyboard problems (I've learned to use both without the gnashing of teeth); don't depend on apps that look and feel the same on both platforms (Vive la différence!); and have found sources for upgrades and replacements that are close in cost. Again, use the right tool for the job - if it's hammer, it really doesn't matter if it's a Craftsman or a Stanley.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

"New to the Mac? Welcome to the Mac world. Things probably look a little strange around here. There's no Start menu down at the bottom of the screen. Menus stay up at the top no matter which application you're using. And those green, yellow, and red buttons in window corners don't do exactly the same things they did on your old PC."

There is a bit of a learning curve when you switch from being a Windows user to a Mac user, especially if you have been using Windows for some time. But I would argue it is a lot easier to do that than to reverse the switch. Regardless, Macworld has started a series for the new Mac user, and you can get on the email list by going here.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"Apple on Wednesday released a couple of minor software updates to support its new 27-inch LED Cinema Display on both Mac OS X and Windows. The Windows update also includes support for the Magic Trackpad input device."

You can get the bundled Windows updates for both as an all in one package (32-bit version here, 64-bit version here), and the OS X update for the Cinema Display here, so you will be ready for your new 27-inch LED Cinema Display and your new Magic Trackpad. You are buying both aren't you?

Friday, September 17, 2010

"One of the really handy things you can do with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad is use it as an extra screen for your computer. Until now, though, if you wanted to use your iPad to extend your Windows system, you were limited to iDisplay."

Well no longer folks, as now you have an option, namely Air Display [affiliate link]. It is a universal app and goes for $9.99 USD, while iDisplay (also a universal app) sells for $4.99 USD [affiliate link]. I don't use either of these programs, but at least now you have options if you need something like this, and they are planning on doing a head to head comparison in the near future so that should be interesting.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"The Mac Virtual Machine market heats up today with the release of Parallels 6. The biggest Virtual machine maker for the Mac platform adds 80 new features (most of which we detailed a little early!)."

You can upgrade to Parallels 6 for $49.99 USD, or you can take advantage of the VMWare offer for Fusion 3, which lets you upgrade from either Parallels or VMWare for $10.00 USD. Which one do you use, VMWare or Parallels?

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

"It may not be a love-fest between Google and Apple these days, but internally at least, the search giant is showing Cupertino some love by phasing out Windows-based systems and replacing them with Macs."

This was based on a Financial Times story, that gained info from a Google memo outlining the reason for the change was for security reasons. As a side note, they also mentioned that Google is working towards running everything on their own software and that it might be the first step in going full scale into their Chrome OS.

Friday, May 7, 2010

"If you've been eyeing Memeo Connect, Memeo's desktop software for syncing your documents and files with Google Docs, the company's new bundle may be of interest."

Memeo is bundling their Memeo Connect along with Google Apps Premier Edition for $39.00 USD, but only through the month of May. After May, the bundle will go up to $59.00 USD. Normally just the Memeo Connect runs $9.00 USD per year, so coupling it with the normally $50.00 USD per year Google Premier Apps saves you $20.00. The other advantages are not having to own a domain before signing up (you can use your @memeo.com address if you get the bundle), and that it works with either Windows or OS X.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

"You've caught the buzz. You've been watching the weather, seeing how the wind blows. You've moved or you're moving to the Mac, because Windows blows. Where can you get the advice you need to help you with this transition?"

Several good choices, the best one being "Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual" by David Pogue in my opinion, mainly because it has the most up-to-date information and covers pretty much all you need to know when switching. Well, if you are switching to Snow Leopard. If you are switching to an older version of OS X, then try one of the other books listed.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

"Parallels announced Wednesday that Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac is now available. The latest release of the virtualization solution allows users to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems on their Intel-based Macs. Parallels Desktop 5 works in both Leopard and Snow Leopard."

They have added 70 new features to this version of Parallels, one of which is the Crystal view mode as seen above in the screen shot. This gives it a more "Mac-like" appearance when working with Windows. It also supports "pinch" and "swipe" for many of the applications. Upgrading will cost you $50.00 USD while new purchases will set you back $80.00 USD. If you purchased your current version of Parallels after October 1st, you qualify for a free upgrade so if you didn't purchase online from Parallels (they will send you a key if you did), head on over to the Parallels upgrade site to get your upgrade key.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

"The next version of VMware Fusion has been announced, and it comes with numerous new features that users will undoubtedly love. Snow Leopard support, the latest gaming support, and support for Windows 7 features all top the list, as well as a new Migration Assistant to help those moving their PCs over to a virtual machine."

This will be available on October 27th this year, in retail stores or download, for $79.95 USD. If you have a previous version of VMware, the price is $39.95 USD for the upgrade. More information can be found at the VMware site.